i dont know about you guys but kobe has played 40+ minutes in the last 10 games. For him to do that at this age is ridiculous but D'antoni has gotta keep an eye on his minutes! Yes some of those minutes were needed to win the game but lets be honest, half of those were beyond our reach...if he keeps up, he'll be burned out by march

This team is absolute garbage. No emotion, no intensity, no urgency....just a bunch of guys going thru the motions. A team with 2 of the top 5 players in the league, multiple All stars and future HOFs should be ashamed an embarrassed for their pathetic play and production. Their defense is complete joke that allow scrubs to just waltz right down the paint and dunk or layup. Their perimeter defense is horrible. They cant make FTs and they have far too many turnovers. I am done with this pathetic, garbage team. No more watching them on TV and certainly no more paying money to watch them stink it up. Losers.

After tonights game, heres the next 5: LAC, DEN, HOU, SAS and OKC. 108-49 combined record of those teams.

All winnable too. This stretch is one of the most important of the season for us. If not the most important. We have to be firing on all cylinders against these guys. Although Pop always seems to see what we bring in the first game against us and then beats us in the following and since he's intent on "resting" his players a lot this year we may see some of that.

After tonights game, heres the next 5: LAC, DEN, HOU, SAS and OKC. 108-49 combined record of those teams.

Yikes at having to play LAC, SAS, and OKC. There are upsets all the time during the regular season, so hopefully the Lakers can get lucky. I just don't see the Lakers beating any of those 3 if they are on point. The other 2 games are probably 50/50 games at this point. But LAC, SAS, and OKC are just clearly better than the Lakers, probably 2 levels above them.

It's about to get a whole lot tougher. The Lakers are going to be kicking themselves for not taking care of their easier early season schedule.

Yikes at having to play LAC, SAS, and OKC. There are upsets all the time during the regular season, so hopefully the Lakers can get lucky.I just don't see the Lakers beating any of those 3 if they are on point. The other 2 games are probably 50/50 games at this point. But LAC, SAS, and OKC are just clearly better than the Lakers, probably 2 levels above them.

It's about to get a whole lot tougher. The Lakers are going to be kicking themselves for not taking care of their easier early season schedule.

I wouldn't call the Lakers beating any of those teams major upsets and I wouldn't consider them lucky either.

Yikes at having to play LAC, SAS, and OKC. There are upsets all the time during the regular season, so hopefully the Lakers can get lucky. I just don't see the Lakers beating any of those 3 if they are on point. The other 2 games are probably 50/50 games at this point. But LAC, SAS, and OKC are just clearly better than the Lakers, probably 2 levels above them.

It's about to get a whole lot tougher. The Lakers are going to be kicking themselves for not taking care of their easier early season schedule.

They've lost in just about every other game against an elite team. I'm sure I called those.

People are right or wrong all the time. Don't know why you're calling me out for it.

But hey, Mike Brown didn't get fired and the Lakers were smart not to trade Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard.

yeah but they lost to elite teams without a full lineup, full chemistry or the main guy running the show and each game was still close.

Our assists have risen to the top of the league from 20 to 28 and Kobe is shooting 56% in Steve Nash's return(higher than Kevin Durant)

isn't it apparent by now to you that if they were the same team they were that lost earlier in the season that perhaps they wouldn't have beaten Golden State or New York? Especially in the fashions they did?

Maybe actually having a full lineup can be the difference and you can stop using that excuse only when you want to defend the Heat while you discard it as it pertains to the Lakers for whatever reason and you realize that perhaps just perhaps it applies to the Lakers as well.

Just maybe

Because even in the wake of us playing our best basketball we've played this season so far and yet you still think it would be "luck" if we beat any elite team..... quite frankly

yeah but they lost to elite teams without a full lineup, full chemistry or the main guy running the show and each game was still close.

Our assists have risen to the top of the league from 20 to 28 and Kobe is shooting 56% in Steve Nash's return(higher than Kevin Durant)

isn't it apparent by now to you that if they were the same team they were that lost earlier in the season that perhaps they wouldn't have beaten Golden State or New York? Especially in the fashions they did?

Maybe actually having a full lineup can be the difference and you can stop using that excuse only when you want to defend the Heat while you discard it as it pertains to the Lakers for whatever reason and you realize that perhaps just perhaps it applies to the Lakers as well.

Just maybe

The Lakers beat Golden State earlier in the year, so they just have their number.

I've never really had a problem with the Lakers offensively. The only thing I'll say on that front is that I hope they can find a way to keep Nash's minutes down.

I just won't believe in the Lakers until they can play defense on a consistent basis. They're starting to get better. Their games against New York and Portland were good. But, they also gave up 126 points to Denver recently.

The Lakers' defensive problems have been around for a long time now. I thought they got worse as last season progressed, and they were 13th last postseason in defensive efficiency out of 16 teams.

The Lakers beat Golden State earlier in the year, so they just have their number.

I've never really had a problem with the Lakers offensively. The only thing I'll say on that front is that I hope they can find a way to keep Nash's minutes down.

I just won't believe in the Lakers until they can play defense on a consistent basis. They're starting to get better. Their games against New York and Portland were good. But, they also gave up 126 points to Denver recently.

The Lakers' defensive problems have been around for a long time now. I thought they got worse as last season progressed, and they were 13th last postseason in defensive efficiency out of 16 teams.

Yeah we play 6 good defensive games and you pick out one where we didn't and you use it to say we're terrible defensively

So if we win our next 4 games and the stretch is extended to 10-1 are you still gonna say "yeah but in that ONE loss our defense sucked!"

You're the guy that's always defending the Heat even if they lose 2 straight against sub part teams because their defense fails yet you won't call out them for being a bad defensive team and expect them to repeat. You'll also never give credit to another team for beating them while also loving to cite if they had a full lineup or not as a reason for their losses.

yet the Lakers have a stretch of 7 games, 6 where their defense is what won them the game and you pick out the one game they lose to say they aren't a good defensive team.

Yeah we play 6 good defensive games and you pick out one where we didn't and you use it to say we're terrible defensively

So if we win our next 4 games and the stretch is extended to 10-1 are you still gonna say "yeah but in that ONE loss our defense sucked!"

You're the guy that's always defending the Heat even if they lose 2 straight against sub part teams because their defense fails yet you won't call out them for being a bad defensive team and expect them to repeat. You'll also never give credit to another team for beating them while also loving to cite if they had a full lineup or not as a reason for their losses.

yet the Lakers have a stretch of 7 games, 6 where their defense is what won them the game and you pick out the one game they lose to say they aren't a good defensive team.

I see a pattern here.

Not all of the Lakers' wins were good defensive games. Washington, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Golden State were bad defensive performances. They all got above their season averages by a decent amount. Golden State is a good offensive team and that game went into overtime, but the others are just bad.

The Heat are different for 2 reasons.

1. They have one of the best records in the NBA. The Lakers are a .500 team.

2. Their problems aren't as longstanding as the Lakers. They were an elite defensive team last postseason. The Lakers have looked bad defensively since the end of last regular season.

Not all of the Lakers' wins were good defensive games. Washington, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Golden State were bad defensive performances. They all got above their season averages by a decent amount. Golden State is a good offensive team and that game went into overtime, but the others are just bad.

The Heat are different for 2 reasons.

1. They have one of the best records in the NBA. The Lakers are a .500 team.

2. Their problems aren't as longstanding as the Lakers. They were an elite defensive team last postseason. The Lakers have looked bad defensively since the end of last regular season.

Held Washington to 96(under 100)We held Philly to 98 points(under 100)Golden State a high scoring team needed overtime to get 115We held New York a high scoring team to 96(under 100)We held Portland to 87(under 100)And against the Bobcats they scored 100 and we PLAYED defense in order to go on that run, what was it 30-6? Our DEFENSE is the very reason we won that game.

So holding 4 teams in regulation under 100 and one team at 100 is "terrible" defense to you?

Held Washington to 96(under 100)We held Philly to 98 points(under 100)Golden State a high scoring team needed overtime to get 115We held New York a high scoring team to 96(under 100)We held Portland to 87(under 100)And against the Bobcats they scored 100 and we PLAYED defense in order to go on that run, what was it 30-6? Our DEFENSE is the very reason we won that game.

So holding 4 teams in regulation under 100 and one team at 100 is "terrible" defense to you?